Ganagu/Zafarganyk
The Constitutional Kingdom of Zafarganyk, known more commonly by its short name Zafarganyk, is a nation occupying the Stagon Savannah in Ganykdemir. It is named for the great amount of sandweeds (zafary) that populate the area. __TOC__ Overview History Society Demographics 85% of the people of Zafarganyk are of Race 1, with 12% being of Race 2, and the other 3% various other races, the majority of which are Race 3. About 43% of all Zafark people are female, and 53% are male; the other 4% are transgendered or androgynous. Fifty percent of the populace is around their forties and fifties, whereas 30% are between the ages of 20 and 39, 10% are children (under 20), 7% are in their sixties through their nineties, and the rest are centenarians or older. 93% of all Zafark people are humans; of the remaining 7% that are sapient creatures, half are wild cats, 1/3 are derived from wild dogs, and the remaining sixth are other sapient creatures, like vampires (bat people), merfolk, and the like. Classes As Zafarganyk is a freedom-loving nation as a whole, there is no existing class system, other than that established by the presence of the government. Government The government is a constitutional monarchy, and so consists of two parts: * The Monarchy, and * The Parliament. Monarchy The monarchy has been a part of the Zafarganyk government since the beginning, but until recently had been the only player in determining what is and cannot be. Before the reforms of 871 (After St. ) the royal family had dominion over the forty-to-sixty-something duchies (now fifty states), which themselves had dominion over the affairs of people, economy, and other such matters. Each duke or duchess gave their vassals a fixed sum of money, land, and servants to carry out his duties, in return for service to his superior. Each vassal could also do the same to facilitate their ends, meaning the system could stretch as far as needed for the duchy to prosper. One could easily work their way up the feudal pantheon through hard work and dedication, eventually being named as the successor to their lord upon his death. This applied to every position except that of the monarch, where blood ties were required to be considered a legitimate heir to the throne. The following list is of titles that could be achieved through the aforementioned prudence, in order of increasing power: *Master/Mistress (of the craft) - Can hire other people to work for them, and teach them their craft, as well as form guilds between other masters. Are expected to be at the forefront of their trade, for when the circumstances call for it. *Knight/Dame - Can participate in wars and act as police to their lord's realm. Are expected to be honorable and courageous, and protect and serve their lord. *Baron(ess) - Can form armies of knights when needed. Are expected to have good judgment and impeccable foresight. *Viscount(ess) - Can call for barons in matters regarding the welfare of the Zafark citizens. Are expected to have a keen mind for the well-being of the state, and assist their lord. *Earl/Countess - Can call viscounts for assistance in feudal matters. Are expected to be practical and yet innovative. *Marquis/Marchioness - Can act as judges for their vassals and servants in legal matters. Are expected to have impressive acumen, and turn to their lords for dire cases. *Duke/Duchess - The administrators of the duchies. Can create duchy-specific laws, receive feedback on current affairs, and settle cases beyond the jurisdiction of the marquis. They can also set the tithes for their vassals and servants, depending upon the productivity of the duchy, among other conditions. Are expected to give the collected tithes to the monarch, as well as acknowledge changes in the duchy partitioning. Those whose duchies are lost/merged to more influential duchies are to become full-time servants to the royal family, their vassals and servants given to another duke (the more influential one if merged), whereas newly-created duchies will be ruled by a scrupulous marquis nominated by the duke of another duchy and approved by the king. Parliament The Parliament, established in 871 (After St. ) by the late King ___ by public recommendation, consists of 50 Lords and 50 Senators. Family Education Law Economy Culture and Customs Language Almost all people in Zafarganyk are fluent or at least conversationally capable in the Zafarkh language, the only notable exception being tourists from abroad. In addition, over half of those people are also fluent in the Meduri language, with a select few being polyglots. If there is one thing to be said about the prevalence of Meduri, then it is mostly due to Meduri influence during the old ages. The two languages are related by way of Proto-Ganykdymyrkh. Religion Two-thirds of all Zafark people belong to at least one modern sect of the Old Order, an ancient belief system revolving around a pantheon of twelve deities and lesser holy figures. Each deity is based off one of the twelve elements, and has associated duties in the realm of human affairs. E.g. The goddess of Nature, Akaby, is also well-versed in Health and Well-Being. Each deity also has three or four saints, who have their own sect, complete with churches, nuns, priests, etc. Nowadays, most of those following the Old Order pay homage to St. , the first saint of the God of Light Dun. Due to the impressive amount of religious tolerance in Zafarganyk, people who follow other religions have formed communities within the country. The Arts The Sciences Sports/Recreation Magick Zafarganyk, due to its religion, allows the usage of magick in open society, except where it may cause harm to at least one individual, the wielder thereof included. Common practices involving magick include, to name a few: *Ceremonial Festivals *Church Rites *Self-Improvement (For more information, see Magick.) Foreign Relations ---- Category:Ganagu Category:Regions